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Daily news - 16th June 2023 |
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Thank you so much to The Association of Police Controlled Drugs Liaison Officers (APCDLO) for sponsoring DrugWise Daily for another year.
UK news
57 million prescriptions for opioids issued to UK patients last year, report finds
A report, created by Sapphire Cannabis Clinics, has found that 57 million prescriptions for opioids, the equivalent of 108 prescriptions every minute, were issued last year in the UK | Leafie, UK
UK patient secures first NHS reimbursement for cannabis flowers
A patient at Zerenia Clinics UK has made history as the first to secure NHS reimbursement for prescribed cannabis flowers | Cannabis Health, UK
Why Psychedelics Work Differently for People on Antidepressants
Experts tell us how your meds are messing with your ket, shroom, LSD and MDMA high | VICE, UK
Vaping: Why are people worried about young people vaping?
Newsround has been speaking to students to find out what they think of the rise of children vaping | BBC Newsround, UK
New community hub for prison-leavers launches in Durham
A new hub aimed at helping people leaving prison to re-integrate into the community has been launched in Durham | DDN, UK
Smoking: Mental Illness
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his Department's policy to continue the NHS Tobacco dependency programme for people accessing community mental health services | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes: Sales
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) ban over-the-counter sales of vapes and (b) make vapes only available to people who are taking part in (i) smoking and (ii) vaping cessation programmes | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes: Children and Young People
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for local authorities to reduce the prevalence of vaping in (a) children and young people and (b) adults | They work for you, UK
Alcohol use in the cost-of-living crisis
Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:00 - 15:00 BST. The cost-of-living crisis has pushed many households into poverty, but what does this mean for the nation's health? | IAS, UK
International news
Cops Seize Record Meth Haul Hidden Inside Jugs of Maple Syrup
Police in New Zealand busted a trafficking syndicate which smuggled a massive stash of meth inside a maple syrup shipment from Canada | VICE, UK
California seizes enough fentanyl in San Francisco to kill city’s population three times over
Governor’s office says over 4kg of drug seized in city since May – enough to cause deadly overdoses of more than 2m people | Guardian, UK
Out of our minds: opium’s part in imperial history – podcast
How a mind-altering, addictive substance was used as a weapon by one empire to subdue another | Guardian, UK
HSE programme analysed 97 samples of drugs at three-day Life Festival
The HSE has shared the initial 'drug trends' from Life Festival as part of their Safer Nightlife Programme. A total of 97 samples of drugs were surrendered by attendees over the three-day festival. There were "concerns" around ketamine, MDMA and cocaine, with the health risks spread on social media pages and by volunteers at the grounds | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Launch event: European Drug Report 2023 - TODAY
16 June 2023 at 12.00 (Lisbon), 13.00 CET (Brussels). How many new drugs were detected in Europe over the last year? What are the latest trends in drug production and trafficking? What substances are causing the most concern today? Find out more when the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) launches its European Drug Report 2023: Trends and Developments in a press conference in Brussels on 16 June | EMCDDA, Portugal
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health: Results from the 2021 and 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (PDF)
Lesbians, gays and bisexuals are experiencing more mental health and substance use issues than their heterosexual peers, researchers say | SAMHSA, USA
Using brain scans of people on mind-altering drugs to learn more about neurotransmitter systems
An international team of neuroscientists, anesthesiologists and other medical researchers has learned more about the changes that occur in brain neurotransmitter systems under the influence of psychedelics, anesthetics and cognitive enhancers by studying PET and fMRI scans of brains of people administered such drugs | Medical Xpress, USA
Limiting opioids during surgery may lead to more postoperative pain and opioid use for patients
A recent analysis in JAMA Surgery conducted by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) indicates that overly restricting use of opioids during surgery may be doing more harm than good | Medical Xpress, USA
Research reports associations between binge drinking and recreational cannabis laws
New research at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health examined changes in binge drinking after the implementation of recreational cannabis laws. Analysis of national survey data from Americans aged 12 and older showed that past-month binge drinking increased overall among people aged 31 and over from 2008 to 2019. At the same time, binge drinking declined overall among people aged 12-30 | News Medical, USA
Association of Mandatory Warning Signs for Cannabis Use During Pregnancy With Cannabis Use Beliefs and Behaviors
This cross-sectional study used data from 2063 US-based survey respondents who were or had recently been pregnant and found that, among people who used cannabis during pregnancy, living in a state with a warning signs policy was significantly associated with believing use was safe and should not be punished; among those who did not use cannabis, warning signs policies were significantly associated with believing use was not safe and should be punished. There were no associations of living in a state with a mandatory warning sign policy with using cannabis during pregnancy | JAMA Network Open, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Why police should use diversion
Since 2010, over 80% of all drug offences recorded by police have been minor possession offences. This consumes significant police resources with negligible impact on use, can harm individuals with a life-scarring criminal record, and damage police-community relations. So it would be better if the law changed so possession of drugs was not an offence at all | Transform blog, UK
Psychedelics by David Nutt review – hope or hype?
An expert makes the case for psychedelic therapy, but we should beware the ‘Pollan effect’ | Guardian, UK
Naloxone Is a Game Changer. Naltrexone Can Save Even More Lives
In the battle against the opioid epidemic, one medication stands out — naloxone, best known as Narcan | Ben Westhoff, USA